Vibratory cutting means to supplement earth penetration and movement by earth working equipment



llvlay 13, 1969 W E, MARTlN v 3,443,327

. VIBRATORY CUTTING MEANS To SUPPLEMENT EARTH PENETRATION AND MOVEMENT BY EARTEvwoRKING EQUIPMENT Filed sept. a, 1965 sheet of 4 4?/ INVENTOR:

May 13, 1969 w. E. MARTIN 3,443,327

VIBRATORY CUTTING MEANS TO SUPPLEMENT lEARTH PENETRATION .AND MOVEMENT BY EARTH WORKING EQUIPMENT Filed` sept. e., 1965 sheet ,8' of 4 fig 6 4:/

May 13, 1969 3,443,327 RATION W. E. MARTIN ANS To SUPPLEMENT EARTH PENET VIBRATORY CUTTING ME AND M Filed Sept. 8, 1965 OVEMENT BY EARTH WORKING EQUIPMENT Sheet May 13, 1969 w. E. MARTIN 3,443,327

VIBRATORY CUTTING MEANS TO SUPPLEMENT EARTH PENETRATION AND MOVEMENT BY EARTH WORKING EQUIPMENT L/Nh EZ/ade fw INVENTOR: MZZZL'Qm EMczf'fI-/L BY mwa/ United States Patent O VIBRATORY 'CUTTING MEANS TO SUPPLEMENT EARTH PENETRATION AND MOVEMENT BY EARTH WORKING EQUIPMENT William E. Martin, Martin Company, P.O. Box 187,

Kewanee, Ill. 61443 Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,799 Int. Cl. E021? 3/76, 3/62, 3/46 U.S. Cl. 37-126 12 Claims 'ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to vibration inducing means combined with earth working devices such as bulldozers, buckets and scraper bowls or the like, to develop an oscillatory cutting action at the cutting or filling edges of these earth working devices to assist earth penetration, ea-rth moving or earth loading of such earth handling equipment.

More specifically, the invention is related to power movable material handling equipment provided with cutting edges or blades that are oscillated or vibrated to induce easier and greater material penetration with more efficient material movement or pickup while loading or also in some cases while discharging a load `as from an endloader or shovel bucket by use of the vibratory means.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide power actuated earth working or material handling devices that are capable of developing vibratory' agitation of some of these devices or to develop agitation of the cutting blades or edges thereof to assist with the working facilities thereof and to augment the operative action forv which these devices were originally designed.

Another object is to provide a vibratory earth penetrating means as a part of a piece of earth handling or |working equipment whereby such equipment may be bodily maneuvered through its connection or attachment with a mobile power unit, while a vibratory earth penetrating means is provided to function and operate independently with respect to such body motion of the equipment.

Another object is to provide a bulldozer with a vibratory blade to enhance the cutting action and the forward progress of this particular type of blade.

A further object is to provide `an endloader or shovel bucket with a vibratory mechanism which assists in the forward progress and cutting efliciency of such a device while the device is in use on a power unit or vehicle adapted for the manipulation thereof.

A still further object is to provide a scraper bowl with a cutting blade having operative means connected therewith to induce a vibratory action to oscillate the cutting blade of the bowl for greater loading efliciency and better for'ward progress of such scraper bowl while it is in earth handling position.

Another object is to provide vibratory blade means adapted to oscillate bodily in generally fore and aft displacement with the entire blade moving in dierent parallel transverse positions or in alternately angular positions where one end of the blade advances and the other end re- 3,443,327 Patented May 13, 1969 tracts and then the opposite takes place as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

As a further object, means are provided to establish a synchronized arrangement by means of which the blade can be controlled to vibrate or oscillate in a predetermined manner thereby maintaining a definite consistent mode of action for certain conditions of use.

Other objects and advantages relating to the present invention will hereinafter appear in or become evident from the following detailed description having reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bulldozer assembly attached to a power unit for mobile manipulation and which bulldozer is provided with a vibratory means to oscillate the blade portion of this arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a detailed plan sectional view of the near side of the bulldozer blade assembly of FIG. l as substantially viewed along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1 to illustrate a hydraulic power motor unit and the oscillatory mechanism that vibrates the bulldozer blade;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed side elevational view of the upper blade portion to show the lost motion structure between the blade and bulldozer arm;

FIG. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view `taken along the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. 3 to further illustrate certain details of construction;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view to show one manner of establishing a synchronized drive means between the two blade end hydraulic power means that act to induce vibration on each lateral end portion of the bulldozer blade structure;

FIG. 6 shows an end elevational View of another bulldozer blade that may be substituted in place of the blade shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an endloader or bucket shovel that is attached to a power vehicle or -mobile unit and which includes a-nother arrangement of vibratory mechanism to induce vibratory action to the loader or shovel and to the ground penetrating edge or blade thereof;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the loader or shovel of FIG. 7 to better illustrate constructional details thereof and to further show the action by changed positions of the parts;

FIG. 9 is a detailed plan View of the hydraulic motor and eccentric drive arrangement used to induce the designed vibratory action of the device in FIGS. 7 and 8';

FIG. l0 is similar to FIG. 9 but illustrating a modified eccentric drive means for the hydraulic motor assembly;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view on the order of FIG. 5 to show an arrangement for synchronization of the bucket or shovel ends or sides in their fore and aft motions acting under the motor drives;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a road working wheel supported scraper bowl attached to a power vehicle and which scraper bowl is provided with avibratory earth penetrating and cutting blade to assist in loading such a bowl;

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross sectional View taken transversely to the bowl as viewed substantially along the line 13-13 in FIG. 12 to illustrate the details of construction of this arrangement;

FIG. 14 is another detailed cross sectional view taken vertically at the near side of FIG. l2 and along the line 14--14 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is another sectional view similar to FIG. 13, but illustrating a modified arrangement of bowl blade provided with another type of scraper bowl blade vibration inducing means;

FIG. 16 is a plan sectional view of the blade means in FIG. 15 taken substantially along the plane of the line 16-16 in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic plan view of a blade unit to demonstrate one form of action developed by the vibratory means of the present invention; and

FIG. 18 is a similar diagrammatic plan view of a blade unit that is moved in vibratory fashion in synchronized motion by moving both ends of the blade fore and aft together instead of alternately angularly as is the case with the blade in the FIG. 17 illustration.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l to 5, the description will be mainly directed to the near side of the bulldozer illustrated, it being understood that both sides of the earth moving assembly are the same, there being connected side arms and a cross blade structure on said arms as will now be explained in more detail.

Generally, the bulldozer comprises a transverse push blade 1 with a replaceable cutting blade or knife 2, blade 1 having at least two vertical fins or flanges such as 3 secured thereto that are laterally spaced for the reception of side frames or arms 4 and 5. Arms 4 and 5 have releasable attachment bearing brackets 6 for pivotal mounting on trunnions 7 located on each side of the power unit or tractor 8. A cross beam 9 rigidly connects arms 4 and 5, and power cylinders 10 and 11 are pivoted at opposite side points 12 on the power unit 8 while the rams 13 are pivotally connected with ears 14 integrally comprising parts of the cross beam 9 between arms 4 and 5.

Through the manipulation of the power cylinders 10 and 11 an operator can raise or lower the bulldozer blade 1 to meet road working requirements.

Additionally, arms 4 and 5 are forked at 15 and 16 to form upper and lower stabilizing blade supporting mountings 17 and 18. The upper mounting 17 is a lost motion means such as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprising a pin or stub shaft 19 carried by flange 3 to extend through a vertically elongated slot 20 in the arm 4 and fork with retaining collars 21 flanking parts 3 and 15 on opposite outward faces thereof as seen in FIG. 4.

The lower mounting 18 includes the vibratory means to shake or oscillate blade 1 and comprises a power drive means such as a hydraulic motor 22 lixedly mounted by a bracket 23 to the inner side or face 24 of arm 4 to the fork 16 portion thereof. Suitable operator controlled hydraulic lines 25 and 26 lead to the motor 22 to drive the same and its drive shaft 27 that is journaled in bearing 28 in fork 16. Shaft 27 terminates with an eccentric drive pin end 29 that extends through opening 30 in wing or ange 3 of blade 1 with a collar 31 providing a stabilizing lock means to hold the described parts in their operative relationships as best shown in FIG. 2, this assembly being the near side arrangement of the FIG. 1 illustration.

Through the operation of theI motor 22, the eccentric shaft assembly 27-29 connected with ange 3 causes the blade 1 and its cutting blade 2 to oscillate in an eccentric motion at the cutting blade end of the bulldozer blade 1 to give blade 1 a fore and aft agitation from the full line position in FIG. 2 to the dot and dashed line position indicated. A vertical displacement is also created as the eccentric means is in motion to give the blade 1 up and down acti-on according to the amount of eccentricity that exists between shaft 27 and pin end 29.

Obviously, motor 22 may be selectively run in either direction as desired, but when the direction is counterclockwise an eicient material penetration results as the blade 1 and knife or blade 2 are caused to dig in forwardly and upwardly to assist the forward bodily motion of the blade assembly established by the maneuvering connected power vehicle 8. Opposite rotation of motor 22 provides a forwardly and downwardly action on the blade means to produce an assisting motion that is desirable as well under certain other soil or dirt conditions.

It should be understood and explained that each side arm 4 and 5 is provided with the power driven eccentric means so that the blade assembly will be angularly vibrated when considered in the transverse direction thereof and as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 17. Since side motors 22 are not synchronized the blade angularity vibrations will vary and change and at times the movement will be in parallel increments fore and aft as depicted diagrammatically in FIG. 18.

Itis, therefore, illustrated in FIG. 5 ho'w the two motors 22--22 may be made to synchronize the blade action through the use of a connecting or tie shaft such as 32 plus the use, if desired, of a dust or dirt shield sleeve 33. `By regulating the positions of the eccentric pins 29-29 in any selected angular positions to each other, various blade actions may be obtained and this may be accomplished through the use of suitable' adjustable shaft couplings such as 34 and 35.

The mounting 17 is constructed as described to give the blade assembly its freedom of action as developed by the eccentric means and at the same time the unit 17 stabilizes the blade assembly vertically and in operative relation to the blade arms 4 and 5. Other forms of earth working blade assemblies may be substituted for blades 1 and 2 such as the curved blade 36 with cutting edge or knife 37 plus spaced wings or blade flanges 38 and 39 having eccentric shaft receiving openings 40 at the bottom and elongated openings 41 at the top for purposes already explained.

The concept of the present invention is equally applicable to other types of earth moving and earth handling equipment such as the endloader or shovel bucket illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 10.

This apparatus comprises a closed end front open bucket 42 having spaced ns or flanges 43 and 44 for operative connection with link assemblies 4S and 46 for vibrating and manipulating the entire bucket, link means 45 also providing the instrumentality for mounting the bucket on a power vehicle or mobile unit such as 47 to bodily maneuver the bucket.

The principal link assembly 45 of which there are two, one at each side of the shovel comprises a main support link or frame 48 pivotally mounted at 49 on the power vehicle 47 with a power cylinder '50 mounted to pivot at 51 on vehicle 47 and having its ram 52 pivoted at S3 on the support link or frame 48. A rocking bell crank link or frame 54 is carried by link 48 on pin l55 and one end of link 54 is pivotally joined by pin 56 with flange 43 of shovel 42 while the other free end of link 54 is pin connected at 57 with a drive link 5'8 as best shown in FIGS. 7, 8. and 9.

A hydraulic drive motor 59 is suitably mounted at 60 on link 48 and the motor shaft 61 thereof has a disc 62 with an eccentrically carried stub shaft 63 to connect with the free end of the drive link 58 to reciprocate the link 58 for rocking bell crank link 54 thus inducing shovel 42 to vibrate as shown in broken lines in FIG. 8. In this connection, FIG. 10 shows a similar motor drive arrangement wherein the motor shaft 61a is constructed with an eccentric pin 63a to also supply the vibrator or oscillatory drive motion to bucket 42 through the link means described.

The other link means 46 is to stabilize bucket 42 and to provide the mechanism for dumping the bucket or to control the working angularity thereof as needed. Link means 46 comprises a pair of connected links 64 and 65 pin connected at 66, with link 64 pinned at 67 to the bucket flange 43 and with link 65 pin joined at 68 with link 48. A bucket dumping power cylinder 69 is pivotally mounted on pin 55 and its ram 70 is pivotally connected on pin 66 of the dual links 64 and 65. By suitably energizing the power cylinder 69, which is double acting in this case, links 64 and 65 can be straightened or moved toward that position to cause the bucket assembly to turn on aligned pins 56 on each side of the unit to thereby dump the bucket or to dispose it in some desired position as may be needed by the operator.

During the manipulation of the power vehicle for directing shovel 42 for operative loading as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, with the operation of the drive motor 59* the shovel or bucket 42 is vibrated between full line and broken line positions as in FIG. 8 to assist in material penetration and in loading the bucket. In this way the bucket is bodily maneuvered by the tractor or power vehicle and independently simultaneously Vibrated so that its cutting or leading blade edge 71 moves up and down an amount 72 and fore and aft an amount 73 as viewed in FIG. 8 to thereby readily and consistently aid in the earth breaking or penetrating action of the bucket during its operative use. The bucket vibration will also assist the dumping function of the bucket to clear the material therefrom.

In this construction as in the bulldozer means described, the use of two motors may or may not be used to synchronize the motions of the opposite bucket ends, but such action may be selectively controlled by connecting the two motors 59 and 59a in FIG. 11 with a common shaft 74 through couplings 75 and 76 for any suitable concerted rotary action between motor shafts 61 and 61b and their related eccentric action on the respective bucket link structures.

Referring now to FIGS. 12, 13 and 14, this type of earth working apparatus comprises a wheel supported material carrying an-d distributing road scraper in combination with a connected power unit or vehicle to maneuver and regulate the scraper and wherein the scraper bowl is made to include vibratory means to assist the forward progress of the scraper assembly during the earth working functions thereof.

This particular mobile apparatus comprises a scraper bowl 77 carried by a frame -781 that is supported rearwardly on wheels 79 and which terminates forwardly with a transverse tube 80 having laterally spaced upwardly inclined arms 81 secured to lateral end portions of the tube 80. A gooseneck towing hitch 82 is suitably mounted at 83 on the mobile tractor or power unit 84 and is hingedly connected at 85 about the central part of tube 80 by removal bearing bracket means 86. A pair of power cylinders such as 817 are pivotallymounted on the lateral sides of the hitch 82 at 87a and the cylinder rams 88 are pivoted on pins 89 at the outer ends of arms 81. With this arrangement an operator can control and regulate the bowl vertically by means of frame 78 to dispose the bowl 77 in transport or ground engaging positions all through the use of cylinders 87 and by means of the hinged union between the bowl frame and hitch member on the power unit.

Bowl 77 has a power cylinder 90 with a ram 91 to actuate an ejector 92 through the bowl for material discharge or distribution. A closure hood 93 is used to open and close the lforwardly open end of bowl 77 or to regulate material discharge by varying the amount of opening of the forward end of the bowl.

This hood 93 is supported by arms 94 pivoted on the bowl at 95 and a power cylinder 96 is ram connected at 97 with a hood arm and bowl connected at 98i. The hood positions are, therefore, controlled by means of cylinders such as 96.

The bowl 77 is equipped with a forward material cutting blade 99, at its entrance edge, which is constructed as a part of a vibratory mechanism 100 that forms a means to agitate or vibrate the blade 99 to assist bowl loading and material penetration for that function.

The blade vibrating mechanisms are the same at each side of the bowl so that the same reference numbers will be used for identical parts with primed numbers on the far side of FIG. 12 or to the left side of the structure shown in FIG. 13.

A pair of angle supports 101 and 101' are each individually mounted on pins 102 and 103 on the bowl by means of slots 104 and 105. These supports 101 and 101 carry headed pins or pivot members 106-106' that hold the opposite ends 107 and 107' of blade 99 through openings 108 and 108 in the blade ends. Hydraulic motors 109 and 109" are mounted on the bowl sides and each carries an eccentric sha'ft drive 110 and 110' to ride in slots 111 and 111 in the angle supports so that these motors are capable of actuating the supports fore and aft to cause vibratory motion or oscillation of blade 99 relatively to the bowl bottom and ahead of the leading edge of the bowl.

Upon operation of the motors 109 and 109 the blade 99 may assume vibratory angular changes in operation or Iparallel reciprocation all in accordance with the amount of synchronization of the two drive units and as explained previously in FIGS. 17 and 18 by the diagrammatic blade motion illustrations.

In FIGS. 15 and 16, a modied construction of bowl blade means is shown wherein lateral blade reciprocation or vibratory motion is used. In this construction a blade 112 with suitable notches or serrations 113 has a mounting base 114 which is pin and slot supported at 115, 11-6 and 117, the latter being on a support angle bracket 118 secured to the side 119 of bowl 120 while the 115 and 116 means are on the bowl bottom 121. A -drive unit such as the hydraulic motor 122 is mounted on bowl side 1'23 and the motor drive shaft 124 has an eccentric pin 125 that rides in slot 126 as seen in FIGS. 15 and 16. Upon operation of the motor 122, the blade 112 vibrates laterv ally relatively with respect to the bowl bottom 121 to thereby assist forward bowl motion and blade penetration of the material being loaded much the same as do the other vibrational units that were hereinbefore described. Obviously motor drive means may be duplicated on the right side of bowl 120, if desired, much like the FIG. 12 construction.

It should be understood that suitable controls and hydraulic power lines service all cylinders and motors mentioned but that these have been omitted for the sake of clarity so as to better illustrate the new features of this invention.

The various forms of the present invention have been shown by way of example and not by way of limitation. Certain further modifications and changes are deemed possible without departing from the fundamental concept herein disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In an earth working device, in combination, a power actuated support structure adapted for mounting on a mobile vehicle and providing a main support frame terminating with a rocking link thereon, a second link assembly wholly mounted on said main support frame, an earth Working instrumentality rockably suspended from said rocking link and from said second link assembly respectively, and a vibratory mechanism carried on said main support frame and operatively connected with said rocking link to rockably vibrate the earth working instrumentality to assist earth penetration of said instrumentality under operation.

2. In an end loader or shovel bucket, in combination, a power actuated support frame having a main support element with a freely rockable link thereon, power controlled link means solely carried by said support element, an earth digging bucket suspended from both said rockable link and said power controlled link means and Y .a vibratory apparatus connected with said rockable link support element when dumping to assist in the discharge of bucket held material.

4. In an earth working assembly comprising a tiltable earth engaging and handling means, supporting structure providing a rockable support link and a tilt control linkage supported thereon to carry said handling means including mounting mechanism to connect said handling means with a power vehicle to operatively maneuver said handling means, and a vibratory apparatus on said supporting structure and operatively connected with said rockable support link of said earth engaging and handling means to cause vibration of said latter means to assist the means in its operative earth engaging and handling functions.

5. In the combination of claim 4, with the addition of positioning mechanism connected between the power vehicle and the supporting structure for the earth engaging and handling means to elevate or lower said latter means through said rockable support link, and said vibratory apparatus being adapted to induce vibratory motion through the aforesaid link to said means in any position thereof when regulated by said positioning mechanism.

6. In the combination of claim 4, wherein said vibratory apparatus comprises a power driven motor having eccentric means and a drive link thereon connected with said rockable support link of said earth engaging and handling means to vibrate said latter means.

7. In an earth working assembly comprising an earth engaging and handling means, a supporting structure, a stabilizing link means mounted on said supporting structure, said supporting structure being adapted to carry said handling means and including mounting mechanism to connect said handling means with a power means to operatively maneuver said handling means, and at least a pair of vibratory units operatively connected at spaced locations with said earth engaging and handling means to induce active vibration of the means at spaced locations thereon to assist said means in carrying out its operative earth engaging and handling functions, each of said vibratory units including a swingable member pivotally carried on said supporting structure to permit ybodily swinging of said connected handling means relatively to said supporting structure, said swingable member be ing operatively rocked by its associated vibratory unit.

S. In the combination of claim 7, with the addition of connective mechanism to join said pair of vibratory units to control the relative vibratory action expended at each location by said vibratory units and the vibratory sequence thereof with respect to each other and to thus accordingly vary the rocking sequence of the swingable members of said vibratory units.

8 9. In the combination of claim 8, wherein said connective mechanism includes adjustable means to selectively regulate the connective mechanism to obtain a predetermined order of vibratory activity between said vibratory units which activity is imparted to said handling means at the spaced operative locations of said vibratory units through said swingable members.

10. An earth working apparatus comprising a manipulating frame, an earth working device on said frame having an` earth engaging and cutting implement therefor to work the earth, swingable mounting means to support said device and cutting implement in movable relation with respect to said frame, and a vibratory mechanism mounted on said frame and connected with said swingable mounting means to oscillate said implement and device in a predetermined relation with respect to the manipulating frame to assist said implement in performing its earth penetrating function for its associated device.

11. In the combination of claim 10, wherein said -vibratory mechanism comprises a power drive means on said frame including an eccentric means operatively connected with said swingable mounting means to oscillate said device and its implement and to enhance the working functions of the device.

12. In the combination of claim 10, wherein said swingable mounting means for said device and said cutting implement permits said implement and said device to move fore and aft in respect to the guided path of travel of said device and wherein said vibratory mechanism is. adapted to oscillate the device and its cutting implement in said fore and aft direction through said swingable mounting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,499,620 3/ 1950 Alderman. 2,619,748 12/ 1952 McIntosh. 2,986,294 5/ 1961 Granryd.

3,145,488 8/ 1964 French.

FOREIGN PATENTS 878,807 10/1961 Great Britain.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Prmaly Examiner. STEPHEN C. PELLEGRINO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

